Tent pole connector



Jan. 24, 1950 C. A. ROGERS 2,495,423

TENT POLE CONNECTOR Filed Feb. 28, 1947 nm n-r muuuml um I l 0 INVENTOR.

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A 7' Tax 5 4 Patented Jan. 24, 1950 'U N lTE D OFFICE TENTPOEE' CONNECTOR Gharles:z.;.ltogers, Waco; .llex. Application February 28, 19417. SeriaI'No; 731,645.

Claims. (01. 1351-15).

This invention relates to attaching devices particularly for holding the material of a tent, guy ropes and the like to the tip or upper end of a'tent pole or post, and inpartic-ular, a socket provided in the upperend of a tent pole with a metal reinforcing shield'hav-inga slot into which a tent-holding bolt with a ball on the end thereof may be inserted and slid upward to hold them-aterial of the tent and ridge pole or rope in positior: on the upper end of thepole.

The purpose of this invention is to provide means for facilitating attaching ropes, canvas, and the like to the-upper ends-of posts, and particularly tent poles,'wherein the parts may be. readily assembled by inserting projecting elemerits of one into a slot or" the-other.

In securing a tent to the upper end of a tent pole, it is usually necessary to splice the rope-at three difierent places'andconsiderable-rope is also. used in tying. The usual tent pole connection also requires metal eyes and a leather saddle, and considerable time is consumed in making the splices and tying the ends oi the rope. With this thought in mind, this invention" contemplates a socket provided with a metal reinforcing plate at the upper end'ofthe pole and an extending ball clamped to the. material of the tent through the ridge rope or pole,'wherein the ball may readily be inserted in:and removed firom the socket.

In the usual type of connection between a tent and the upper end of the tent pole, the material of the tent is often torn: and damaged by high winds, due tothe fact that: each connection is an independent operation and perfectconnections'are not always obtained. For thissreason, this invention includes elements which are permanently attached to the tent and tent pole, wherein one element is readily inserted in the other in setting the tent up, and also readily removed therefrom in dismantling or taking down the tent.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to substantially eliminate damage to tent material and at the same time insure a positive connection between the tent and tent pole, and a connection that remains constant in all instances.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tent-holding socket at the upper ends of tent poles wherein the elements cannot work loose or become separated until separated manually.

Another object of the invention is to provide a positive connection between tents and the upper ends of tent poles wherein the elements are .2 adapted'for use with tents of different ty-pes'and sizes. v

"Another object of the invention is to provide a positive tent-holding socket to securetentsto the upper ends of tent poles in whichthe parts may-readily-beapplied to the pole and material of'the tent bythe average layman.

A further object of the invention is toprovi'de an attaching socket forsecuring; tents to tent 'poles, wherein the-elements are of'a comparatively simple and economical construction.

With these and other ob-jectsin view, the invention embodies a'substantially U--s-hape'd; plate with a long and a short leg having a-vertically disposed slot in the long leg extending "across a portion -of'the upper end thereof, a bolt with clamping washers adapted to clamp a rope at the ridge of the tent to the material of the tent, and a clamping nut having an enlarged end adapted to be inserted in and held in the-slot;

Other features andadvantagesof the invention w-i-llappearfrom the following description taken" in connectionwiththe drawings, wherein:

'Figure- 1 is a View showing a'front elevationof the upper end ofa tent pole with a tent positioned on a the upper end thereof with parts of the tenirand pole broken away.

-'Figure 2 isavertical section through the tent pole and tent illustrated in Figure Lwith the rope-secured to'the under surface of the tent shown in elevation, and with partsof' themateriar-ofthe tent and the'tent pole broken away.

Figure-Bis a plan View looking downward on the upper end of thesocket with the material'of' the tent omitted.

Figure 4 is a detail showing a section through the --locking nut having an enlarged end that-is slidably mounted in the slot of the socket to secure the tent to the pole.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals indicate corresponding parts, the tent pole socket of this invention includes a plate ID, a bolt II having an arcuate head l2, a U-shaped washer l3 and a nut Id.

In the design shown the width of the plate III corresponds with that of a post l5, and, as illustrated in Figure 2, the intermediate portion of the plate is bent across forming an upper surface l6, and then downward forming a U with a short leg I! at the back and a long leg Ill at the front. In the design shown, the post I5 is recessed at both the front and rear with recesses l8 and I9 accommodating the legs 10 and I1, respectively, wherein the outer surfaces of the legs are flush with the surfaces of the post, as shown. The post is also provided with a vertically disposed, centrally positioned recess or socket 20 having an enlarged lower end 2| to receive a ball 22 on the nut l4, and the leg ll] of the plate is provided with a vertically disposed slot 23 with the edges 24 and 25 thereof flared outwardly to correspond with the opening 2|, and with the upper end thereof extending across the plate It to a point 26, as shown in Figure 2. The plate is secured to the post by screws 27, as shown, and as many screws as may be desired may be used. At the upper end of the post is an additional recess 28 which is an extension of the socket 20 and this is provided to accommodate the ball 22 of the nut M, as shown in Figure 2.

The bolt II is provided with an arcuate head l2 which is integral therewith, and the shank of the bolt is threaded wherein the nut It may readily be screwed thereon. The arcuate washer I3 is provided with a centrally disposed opening 29 to receive the bolt I i, and it will be noted that with the washer l3 positioned under a rope 3B and with the head 52 positioned against the outer surface of the canvas of the tent, as indicated by the numeral 3|, the rope may be clamped against the canvas by the nut It. The rope may also be attached to the canvas at intervals by stitches 33, or by any means.

With the parts assembled in this manner, the nut with the ball thereon is permanently secured to the inner surface of the tent, and as the bolt extends through the rope 30, as shown in Figure l, the rope and canvas are also clamped thereby. In setting up a tent, it is only necessary to insert the ball 22 in the socket 2| and then slide the connection to the tent upward through the slot 23 to the position illustrated in Figure 2, with the nut extending through the portion of the slot in the section N5 of the plate, and to take the tent down, it is only necessary to slide the nut and bolt downward through the slot to the lower end where the ball and tent may readily be removed. The material of the tent is, therefore, positively secured to the upper end of the tent pole and substantially all damage resulting from the connections working loose due to high winds and the like is eliminated. Considerable time is also saved in setting up the tent, as all splicing and knot tying is eliminated.

The tent pole socket and holding element of this invention are illustrated in their preferred 4 tent, the material of which overlies the upper end of the tent pole, of a bolt vertically traversing the material of said tent overlying the upper end of the pole, said bolt comprising a head bearing upon the upper side of the material of the tent, a threaded shank depending below the material of the tent, and a globular nut threaded on the lower design, although it will be understood that modifications may be made in the design and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

. What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a tent pole and a end of said shank, said upper end of the pole having a vertical plate thereon formed with a vertically disposed keyhole slot terminating at its upper end in a laterally offset recess, said globular nut being passed upwardly behind said plate from the lower end thereof with said shank in said slot to a position in said laterally ofiset recess whereby the portion of the material of the tent overlying the upper end of the pole is removably secured to the upper end of the pole.

2. The combination with a tent pole and a tent, the material of which overlies the upper end of the tent pole, of a bolt vertically traversing the material of said tent overlying the upper end of the pole, said bolt comprising a head bearing upon the upper side of the material of the tent, a threaded shank depending below the material of the tent, and a globular nut threaded on the lower end of said shank, said upper end of the pole having a vertical plate thereon formed with a vertically disposed keyhole slot terminating at its upper end in a laterally offset recess, said globular nut being passed upwardly behind said plate from the lower end thereof with said shank in said slot to a position in said laterally oiiset recess whereby the portion of the material of the tent overlying the upper end of the pole is removably secured to the upper end of the pole, said portion of the material of the tent having a rope secured to the underside thereof with said bolt shank passing through the rope, and a semi-cylindrical cross section washer mounted movably along said shank and embracing the lower part of said rope,

said nut being threaded upwardly on said shank and bearing against the lower side of said washer whereby said rope is clamped between said washer and the underside of the material of the tent be- 5 gneath said bolt head.

CHARLES A. ROGERS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 289,299 Montgomery Nov. 27, 1883 737,585 Crossley Sept. 1, 1903 1,735,314 Duthie Nov. 12, 1929 

